This is it, folks! The third and final installment of Voiceless. If you haven’t read the other two parts, you can get caught up using this link and this one. If you’re already caught up, awesome!! Let’s get started! 😁
The Prompt
Write a story about silence.
The Story
A week passed, void of any tidings of the magi. His corner was vacant, the glade abandoned, every bit of shine taken out of the girl’s eyes. Yet Daryll continued to hope—
until hope could no longer serve him.
The skies were weeping the day the notice was posted. Two soldiers in deep green uniforms strode into the town square, crying “Make way!” as they went. Daryll drew the girl after him towards the center. They kept their heads low, trying to avoid being recognized by the Masters as the children the magi spoke to. By the time the boy was able to reach the notice, most others had read it and the soldiers had left.
BEHOLD AND BEWARE, YE VOICELESS
The old man ye knew as “Markus” hath been
EXECUTED
for treason against the Masters, specifically
for attempting the use of his voice and
teaching young Voiceless to do the same.
May his example serve ye well!
Settled beside the notice were the belongings of the magi: his weathered clothing, splintered cane, and the small bag he carried at his waist. Weakly the girl leaned against Daryll, doing her best to muffle her sobs as her tears mingled with the rain. Other Voiceless cast sympathetic glances their way as they moved on with their duties, but none dared to stand and mourn with the two lonely children beneath the wet notice.
Finally, Daryll took the girl’s hand in his and knelt by the old man’s belongings. Voiceless were allowed to take what they desired, but he did not want much. Shaking, he reached for the bag and placed his hand inside.
The colorful ribbons of the magi’s tales of songs tangled around his fingers as tears rose in his eyes. The girl leaned her head on his shoulder, the agony on her sweet face almost worse than the notice above. Closing his eyes against the sting of his own tears, the boy placed the ribbons back in the bag, knotted it, and stood, pulling the girl up with him. We must inform the others, he signed.
She nodded, allowing him to take her back into his home and set her by the fire while he signed with his mother. By the time he finished, her tears had been completely used, her mind and heart completely emptied of emotion. The bag was open at her feet, the ribbons twirled between her fingers as she stared listlessly into the flames.
Daryll got on his knees before her, taking her hands in his and staring with a fiery gaze into those once-starry eyes. “May thy voice be heard once more,” he whispered, the ribbons in her hands soft against his fingers.
And the girl’s eyes shone.
*happy sigh* I love this story. Originally the magi wasn’t actually going to be executed, but then the words came out and he was and so I rolled with it. XD What are your thoughts on the whole thing? Was the worldbuilding clear? Who was your favorite character, and why? Should I have executed the magi? Should I have named the girl? If so, what should her name have been?
Thank you guys so much for reading! 😁
Until next time,
Take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth! ^_^
Comments